Book Review: All That Remains by Sue Black

I received a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

I’m (yet again) finding it difficult to organise my thoughts surrounding this book. It’s an intense, sometimes clinical, portrayal of death in a very pragmatic and scientific way. It’s equal parts cold and without feeling in its descriptions of death as if from a textbook or courtroom, yet also simultaneously deeply emotive and always fascinating. I found that at times I had to step away from it, because although fascinating, I found myself becoming too attached to the cases. I’m also deeply in awe of the author’s knowledge, enthusiasm and respect for the subject she teaches.

This is a very personal look at the many faces of death as described by one of Britain’s leading forensic anthropologists, and covers everything from the various ways a body can be buried or preserved, what happens to a body after death, and how forensic anthropologists can establish any number of things about an individual from their remains. It also goes into detail about various interesting cases the author has been directly involved with, and how forensics have helped to build a case or resolve a mystery surrounding an individual’s death or that of a major disaster. It was these chapters I found the most interesting, as it builds on knowledge the reader takes from earlier chapters. I do think it helped that I have an anthropological/medical background however, as some of the terms used are quite medical in nature.

The book also documents the author’s time spent in Kosovo and some of the atrocities witnessed there. I think it was these chapters that effected me the most deeply, as the descriptions of some of the scenes Sue Black is involved with are, simply, horrendous. However, it again highlights the invaluable work undertaken within the profession.

I suppose I was less taken with the small sections near the beginning of the book that seemed to be more like a familial memoir or history rather than delivering facts and experiences. Although there was always a reason for them, such as a device to further expand the readers understanding of various biological processes etc., I just wasn’t that taken with them in comparison to the later chapters.

That said, I really enjoyed this. It was informative, well written and interesting. As Sue Black herself states, ‘humans cannot fail to be affected by the stories of other humans’, and when you’ve lead a life as full as this, it’s hard not to agree. Read it. You won’t be disappointed.

 - 4 stars